New dad depression 'often missed'

One in 10 new fathers may have the baby blues, US researchers
believe - based on their trawl of medical literature.

While this rate is lower than in new mothers, it is more than
currently recognised, they told the Journal of the American Medical
Association.

Lack of sleep and new responsibilities, or supporting a wife
with post-natal depression can be triggers, they say.

The Eastern Virginia Medical School team based their findings on
43 studies involving 28,004 parents from 16 different countries
including the UK and the US.

We don't always
remember that this is going to be an issue for men as well as for
women

They found new fathers were generally happiest in the early
weeks after the birth of their baby, with depression kicking in
after three to six months.

By this time, at least 10% and up to 25% had post-natal
depression.

And depression appeared to be shared - men were far more likely
to be depressed if their partner also had post-natal
depression.

Dr James Paulson and Sharnail Bazemore, who carried out the
study, said more efforts should be made to improve screening and
referral of at-risk fathers, particularly as mounting evidence
suggests that early paternal depression may have substantial
emotional, behavioural and developmental effects on children.

"Depression in one parent should prompt clinical attention to
the other.

"Likewise, prevention and intervention efforts for depression in
parents might be focused on the couple and family rather than the
individual," they said.

Paternal pressures

Bridget O'Connell, from the mental health charity Mind, said:
"Becoming a parent is one of the biggest changes that both men and
women can go through, yet there is still very little understood
about how it impacts on mental health, and how many people will
experience a perinatal mental health problem.

"New parents can be faced with sleep deprivation, changes in
lifestyle, changes in their relationship and new responsibilities
all at once, and we don't always remember that this is going to be
an issue for men as well as for women."

But Ellie Lee, a lecturer in social policy at Kent University,
said it was important not to medicalise normal emotions.

"It is, of course, essential to diagnose and treat serious
clinical depression. But there is a tendency to overuse medical
labels.

"What is interesting is that saying men have post-natal
depression severs the link with biology. Men have not been
pregnant, had the hormonal surges or given birth."

She said modern men were put under other strains.

"It is no longer good enough to just be the bread-winner. They
have to be engaged and involved. They are expected to abstain from
alcohol, attend every scan and 'feel the pain' of birth.